A conventional vehicle occupant load sensing apparatus includes a load sensor placed between a corner of a vehicle seat frame and a support mount for the seat. The sensor is directly within the vertical load path of the occupant's weight and responds to the vertical loads imparted to the seat by the occupant of the seat. In addition, the sensor may respond to torque loads between the seat and the support mount. Since the seat frame and the support mount must withstand large torque loads (i.e., tilting of the seat frame during crash conditions), typically the sensor also must be constructed to withstand large torque loads.
This construction exposes the sensor to large dynamic loads over short periods of time, such as during a collision to the vehicle. Thus, the sensor may not produce a reliable vertical load output signal subsequent to such a dynamic loading event.
A load sensing apparatus which mitigates such dynamic loading during such a dynamic loading event would eliminate the requirement of replacing the load sensing apparatus subsequent to the dynamic loading event. Also, a load sensing apparatus which has fewer electrical components than the conventional apparatus would lower cost.